A Sleepless Night
by Kyte27
Summary: One captain was wide awake one night, excited for the next adventure. All while another captain couldn't sleep due to a nightmare in the previous plight. Takes place just after Dressrosa. Short & sweet. LawLu


It was a cool Winter night out in the vast blue of the dark ocean. The sea would lightly splash against the hull of the colorful Thousand Sunny, the pirate ship belonging to the Straw Hat crew. There was but one single light on in the library at the back of the ship, the archaealogist studying away into a few history books. Everyone else was fast asleep, still drained from their previous adventure in Dressrosa, a country that is no longer ruled by the tyrant, Donquixote Doflamingo. However, there was the captain wide awake as per usual.

Monkey D. Luffy was sitting cross-legged atop of the front's lion-like head of the vessel's front. Carefree to his normal nature, he was humming softly as he kept his eyes forward, tilting his head side to side to his tonedeaf hums. Luffy was wide awake, far too excited to see the next adventure that lay ahead of he and his crew. In fact, the other half of his crew was waiting for him in a mysterious island named 'Zou' in which Robin was studying into anything mentioning about this mass of land.

A strong wind blows, knocking the iconic straw hat off from the young man's head, luckily it had a string so it anchors at his neck.

"Oohh~! That was strong!" he exclaims, snickering to himself as he shuts his eyes in glee. "Zou~ Zou~ Zou~ Whatcha got waiting for me~"

"Aren't you a horrible singer," a voice behind him states. Luffy recognizes it right away.

"Shii shii shii~ Yeah, Nami has told me that plenty of times, Traffy-guy. But, I dont care! Brook encourages me to sing, anyways."

Behind the Straw Hat captain stood the Hearts captain, Trafalgar D. Law. He was in his blue sweatshirt with a raven-feathery collar. The only thing missing on this stoic Surgeon of Death was his fuzzy cap. Law leans over the white beams with his arms crossed, adorned with black ink.

"Your crew has way too much patience with you, Mugiwara-ya."

The younger of the two shrugs, still looking straight on head towards the dark horizon. The two stood quiet for a little while until the same captain speaks up again.

"Hey, why you up?" Luffy asks his ally, leaning his head back enough to see the man.

"Hmph. Couldn't sleep is all," he says with a melancholic tone.

"Was it too hot in the room?"

Law looks at the captain, confuse as to why he would assume if it was hot when it was in the middle of winter. He knew Luffy was dim-witted, but that much so?

Luffy tilts his head like a curious puppy, confused as to why Law was confused. "You're sweating! So I'm just guessing it was hot or something."

Law jerks his gaze away cooly, a hand swiping over his face. Indeed, there was sweat.

"...Don't be stupid. It was just some of the ocean's spray is all," he lies.

Luffy blinks innocently before quickly jumping on to his feet, facing Law. "But its not splashing this high at all, Traffy-guy."

Law clicks his tongue against his cheek in annoyance. He couldn't cover that fact up even if he tried.

"All right, sure. Its sweat, pay it no mind." Law avoids eye contact as he looks down to the dark waters. He felt a weight land next to him, not turning around as he knew it was te Straw Hat that had jumped next to him. Damn his curiosity, he thought.

Luffy crosses his arms behind his head, tilting his head to the side. "What are ya, stupid? Tell me what's up! You're part of my nakama!"

Law growls softly, wanting to object but he couldn't. Letting out an exasperated sigh he was sick of this useless banter so he figures he may as well let it out already. Anything to end this already.

"I had a bad dream."

The rubber man blinks. He didn't quite expect that kind of answer.

"Sooo, you /are/ stupid, huh?" Luffy says bluntly without mercy.

"You're the stupid one here!" Law turns, shouting at the Straw Hat captain.

With a huff he turns around to lean back against the wooden rail, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just a nightmare I still haven't gotten through with. It..Really got much worse, honestly.'

Luffy didn't say a word as he kept listening.

"Doflamingo. I still see those goddamned sunglasses peering at me in the dark. I know the Marines got him locked up, probably on his way to Impel Down. Still, we both know he's pissed off beyond logic at us, Mugiwara-ya."

The Pirate captain inhales a shaking breath, his gray eyes shuttering to a close. Just talking about it gave him the shivers. It was as if it was a looming curse that he could never shake off. As much as he is tactical and looks straight on he is also an overthinker. His original plan was to make sure Doflamingo was killed in Dressrosa, never to commit another crime to humanity ever again. But he's alive - a man with such power cannot be held down, especially not the 'Celestial Demon' of the New World.

"He should be dead. I should have been able to kill him and snuff out his pathetic existence once and for all. Now he's somewhere out there, probably already planning a way to somehow serve our heads on a platter."

The air felt tense in the cold night. Neither captain said a word - not until the younger one did.

"Yep, you're stupid."

Law clenches his teeth. Of course he may as well be talking to a brick wall. A freaky brick wall, anyway. Suddenly a firm slap hits at his back, knocking the captain into a stand. Law was surprised as he looks over at the Straw Hat. Luffy was smiling with confidence.

"He's not even gonna touch a hair on us. Sure, the jerk may eventually break out but c'mon, its us! We're part of the Worst Generation aren't we? And I'll make sure to whoop his ass even harder by then," he says with pride, chuckling to himself.

"Its not that simple, idiot," Law retorts back. "One day you won't be able to fix a problem with just your fists!"

Luffy looks up to the starry night sky. "Huh, probably not. But we'll see when we cross that bridge!"

"Tch," Law hisses through his teeth before turning around to face the oncoming horizon.

The younger man was also growing frustrated. He wanted to have Law feel better already. Then, he remembers. Back when he was a kid, as early as he could remember, a hug would always make him feel better after having a nightmare. Perhaps that can work and cheer up Law. Without giving too mch though, he walks up behind him and embraces him.

"Wha-!?"

Law froze as the captain held him firmly against him. It absolutely felt awkward but for some reason it felt reassuring and honest. The last he felt a hug like this was when Corazon first hugged him when he was a kid. He had a nightmare about White City and its extermination. Corazon had hugged him awkwardly to try to make him feel better. Law fought back, not wanting it whatsoever but Corazon never let go and eventually Law fell asleep in his arms. This was a familiar yet nostalgic feeling. And ever so slowly it began to grow on him. This was nice after all.

Law closes his eyes as a hand reaches down to his waist and holds over one of Luffy's arms that was coiled around him.

"I guess..Maybe I really am stupid," he whispers out gently.

Luffy grins as he nuzzles his cheek against the man's back, snickering. "Just a little!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just shut up.." he trails off before smiling at the corner of his mouth.


End file.
